1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices which aid differently abled individuals such as those that are hearing-impaired or visually impaired to receive communications.
2. Description of the Art Practices
U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,550 to Brisebois, et al. Mar. 19, 2002 discusses an array of stimulators associated with a personal communications device for providing the user with tactile messaging respecting call processing or call network status. The array is positioned on the device so as to be in contact with the user while the terminal is carried or worn, on a wrist, for example. The stimulators of the array are activated independently so as to provide the user with an encoded message of call processes such as alerting, dial tone, busy signal, etc. Preferably each status is associated with one of a set of unique patterns of operation of the stimulators recognizable by the user as tactile image or pattern of operation, rather than necessitating tactile sensation of individual sequences of each stimulator. Advantageously audio and haptic signaling is synchronized to provide a tactile warning to alert user to impending audio signal, and thereby allow a lower level, i.e. quieter, audio signal to be used, because the user is primed by the tactile signal to expect the audio signaling. Thus the audio threshold for effective signaling is reduced and obtrusiveness of audio signaling in public places may be reduced when used in combination with tactile messaging.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,319 issued May 22, 2001 to Pitzer, et al. describes a body worn transmitter periodically transmits a coded RF signal from a rolling code generator, which is received by a base unit at the location where a person is confined, which base unit has a rolling code generator synchronized to produce the same random code signal for comparison. If proper coded signals are not received, a report is sent via telephone to a remote monitoring station. The body worn transmitter is designed to detect and defeat attempts at removal. The body worn transmitter is also used to detect the presence of a person at a particular location. By programming the time of RF transmissions, a large number of body worn transmitters can be monitored at a given location.
Kanor, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,728 issued May 7, 2002 relates to a personal care monitoring system having at least one condition detecting sensor and a corresponding condition indicator. The condition detecting sensor may indicate detection of wetness, such as caused by enuresis. Alternatively, or additionally, the condition detecting sensor may indicate that the physical position of the wearer of the device has not been adjusted for over a predetermined amount of time after which the likelihood of the development of bedsores increases. The indicator may be any desired type of indicator, preferably alerting one of the senses that the monitored condition has been detected. For instance, the indicator may be a light, an audible alarm, or a vibrating device. A processing means preferably is provided to control operation of the various components of the monitoring system. Moreover, the processing means may be programmed to store information pertaining to the operation of the components of the monitoring system. For example, the time at which a condition has been detected as well as the time at which a care giver has attended to the condition may be recorded. Such information may be retrieved to determine the frequency of care given to the wearer of the monitoring system as well as the amount of time elapsed between occurrence of the monitored condition and attendance to such condition by the care giver.
Powell in U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,979 issued Sep. 12, 2000 suggests a method of communicating an incoming call through a telephone receiver having an incoming call circuit and an audible signal system operatively connected to the circuit. The incoming call is communicated to a person remotely located from the receiver. The method comprises disconnecting the audible signal system, and placing on the person a pager having a receiver circuit capable of sensing the existence of an incoming call destined for the incoming call circuit of the telephone receiver. The pager having a silent announcer thereon operatively connected to the receiver circuit of the pager. Thus, the presence of an incoming call can be transmitted to the receiver circuit of the pager to actuate the vibrator without actuating the audible signal system of the telephone receiver.
French-St. George, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,131 Oct. 8, 2002 relates to a system and method for providing multisensory signaling capabilities enables a user to manage the receipt of incoming communication events, after an initial notification sequence, using multiple media options. Specifically, a remote device notifies a user of incoming communication events and offers real-time coupling of the notifications with communication management options. The message is delivered or otherwise processed according to the option selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,251 which issued to Byrne Jul. 23, 2002 describes systems and methods for alerting users of personal electronic devices. In a first aspect these systems and methods alert a user to the occurrence of an event in one or more of the devices by receiving a wireless transmission from the device(s) and then by providing an acoustic, optical, electrical, or mechanical stimulus to the user. In a second aspect these systems and methods may also provide a quiet mode control mechanism through which personal electronic devices are automatically put into a low volume or silent alert operation mode so as not to disturb persons in the vicinity of the devices. This control mechanism may use a wireless transmitter to transmit a signal to any personal electronic device within a given area.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,823 issued to Higuchi, et al. Apr. 23, 2002 suggests a cellular mobile telephone apparatus including a main body, and an alarm device which is provided separately from the main body, the main body including: receiving/transmitting unit for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals between a base station; modulating/demodulating unit for modulating and demodulating between the radio frequency signals, and a conversation signal and a control signal; telephone receiver unit for reproducing audible conversation voice in response to the demodulated conversation signal from the modulating/demodulating unit; telephone transmitting unit for converting conversation voice into the conversation signal; a controller for controlling operation of the main body of the cellular mobile telephone apparatus in accordance with the control signal; and an alarm device for providing an alarm signal which includes an identification information and is transmitted through the radio frequency, when a call is terminated at the main body; and the alarm device including: receiving unit for receiving the alarm signal of radio frequency; a discriminatory for discriminating the alarm signal assigned to itself from others by the identification information included therein; and an alarm unit for alarming call termination in response to the identification by the discriminator.
Adler in U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,252 issued Jul. 23, 2002 relates to a paging system for washers and dryers including a transmitter adapted for coupling with a washer and dryer. The transmitter can detect an end of a cycle of the washer and dryer. The transmitter includes a plurality of function buttons. A receiver is provided that is adapted for being worn by the person. The receiver is in communication with the transmitter whereupon the transmitter detecting the end of the cycle, the receiver will be sent a signal. The receiver includes an alarm that is activated upon receiving the signal. The receiver includes a plurality of function buttons.
Burnette in U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,345 Oct. 9, 2001 describes providing a chess player with a pager so that the chess player can leave the chess board and still be notified when it is time for the chess player to make his move. A conventional chess timer has a switch to indicate when an opponent has made a move. The device of Burnette is stated to activate a radio frequency transmitter by the switch to send a signal to a pager tuned to receive the signal sent by the transmitter. When the pager receives the radio frequency signal, the receiver generates a vibration and/or turns on a light, and/or less preferably generates a sound whereby a player can be notified at a remote location that an opponent has made his move.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,927 issued to Nesbitt Nov. 21, 2000 discusses an anti-vandalism detection and alarm system is disclosed for detecting and reporting the scratching of relatively hard materials such as glass and plastic which generate characteristic sound or vibration frequencies during scratching, and for detecting and reporting the cutting and slashing of relatively soft materials such as fabric, leather and plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,309 dated May 16, 2000 and issued Sellers, et al. describes a swimming pool drowning prevention safety system. The swimming pool drowning prevention safety system comprises: an article wearable by a person, a radio frequency transmitting device coupled to the article for transmitting a radio frequency signal, a microprocessor controlled radio frequency receiving station for receiving the radio frequency signal from the radio frequency transmitting device when the radio frequency transmitting device is within a user adjustable radio reception range of the radio frequency receiving station, and an alert signaling device coupled to the radio frequency receiving station for signaling when the person wearing the article has come within the user adjustable radio reception range of the radio frequency receiving station. The swimming pool drowning prevention safety system is further comprised of an adjustable gain control for varying the RF sensitivity of the radio frequency receiving station, and an RF sensitivity trigger circuit coupled to an audio messaging system for broadcasting at least one selected alert message. The swimming pool drowning prevention safety system further comprises telephone circuitry connection equipment for automatically connecting to a telephone system and transmitting the selected alert message. The swimming pool drowning prevention safety system further comprises a microprocessor that controls and integrates operation of the radio frequency receiving station.
To the extent that the foregoing patents are relevant to the present invention they are herein incorporated by reference.